last word
A reassuringly solid choice for the academically competent all-rounder who is happy in a lovely rural bubble, and a school firing on all cylinders.
Data profile
Benenden School
Independent girls senior school in Kent for ages 11–18, day or boarding. Selective entry, top-tier London fees.
- Rank #37
- ISI Excellent
- Fees £42.5k/yr
- girls
- boarding
- Kent
01 · Module
Outcomes
Where leavers go after sixth form.
- Cohort
- 100
- Oxbridge
- 4
- Russell Group
- 72
- US Ivy
- 2
- Medicine
- 5
Class of 2025
Top destinations
- UCL—
- Imperial—
- Durham—
- Edinburgh—
- Exeter—
- LSE—
- King's College London—
- Cambridge—
02 · Module
Exam results
A-level top grades and GCSE 9–7, post-2026 methodology recalibration.
- A-level A*–A
- 68%
- GCSE 9–7
- 80%
- Oxbridge rate
- 4%
- Russell Group rate
- 72%
Recalibrated
03 · Module
Entry points & fees
Ages, deadlines and annual fees per route.
| Entry | Year | Places | Assessment | Day fee (max) | Boarding fee (max) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11+ | Year 7 | — | — | £42.5k | £65.1k |
| 12+ | Year 8 | — | — | £42.5k | £65.1k |
| 13+ | Year 9 | — | — | £42.5k | £65.1k |
| 14+ | Year 10 | — | — | £42.5k | £65.1k |
| 16+ | Lower Sixth | — | — | £42.5k | £65.1k |
04 · Module
Houseroom Index
Composite score blending owned data with external consensus.
Index score
76
/ 100
National rank #37
Academic75
Destinations72
Future-ready55
Pastoral95
Value-add67
Access & breadth90
Parent70
External consensus70
05 · Module
Inspections
Latest inspection rating and report.
ISI
Excellent
Inspected 2025-10-07
07 · Module
Editorial verdict
Houseroom's view of the school.
overview
Benenden does exactly what it says on the tin: traditional, all-girls full boarding brought bang up to date. For the academically competent all-rounder who is happy to live in a lovely rural bubble, this is a reassuringly solid choice – and a school that's firing on all cylinders. - **Location:** Cranbrook, Kent TN17 4AA - **Pupils:** 560, ages 11–18 - **Gender:** Girls only - **Boarding:** Day and boarding
08 · Module
Compare with peers
The schools a family applying here would also be considering — chosen by sex, boarding, entry phase, geography, fees, tier and outcomes, with an admissions-adviser AI re-rank.
- Fees £33.7kA*-A 64%Oxbridge 5%Rank #53
Roedean School matches Benenden with girls boarding, overlaps on 11+ and 13+ entry phases, is within a 54km commute, and shares a similar fee bracket and selectivity tier.
- Fees £35.2kA*-A 58%Oxbridge 7%Rank #60
Woldingham School is a girls boarding school with 11+ and 13+ entry phases, located 49km away, with fees slightly lower but in the same tier, and a strong Oxbridge destination record.
- Fees £33.6kA*-A 67%Oxbridge 3%Rank #56
Downe House is a girls boarding school with 11+ and 13+ entry phases, located 135km away but still in the South East, with fees in the same tier and similar academic outcomes.
- Fees £46.8kA*-A 80%Oxbridge 23%Rank #16
Wycombe Abbey is a girls boarding school with 11+ and 13+ entry phases, within 110km commute, higher fees but same tier, and a notably strong Oxbridge destination record.
- Fees £46.8kA*-A 77%Oxbridge 4%Rank #55
St Mary's School Ascot is a girls boarding school with 11+ and 13+ entry phases, located 93km away, with fees in the same tier and a comparable academic and Oxbridge profile.
Peers refreshed annually plus on-write. Filters: sex, boarding, entry phase, geography, fee band, tier. Scoring: 0.45 outcome similarity + 0.25 structured + 0.10 embedding + 0.20 AI re-rank.
09 · Module
Top feeder prep schools
Preps that have sent the most pupils here over the last few years.
- 1 offers
Looking for open days, prospectus, bursaries or to apply? Visit the Benenden School school profile →